One Thousand Paper Cranes
by September Wolves
Summary: One night changes Ichigo's life when his home is torn down by assassins and his relatives murdered.He is forced to dress as a girl in order to escape but soon finds himself in the company of several odd balls including one gorgeous Grimmjow. SLASH
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hi! It's me again, September Wolves! I have come up with a new GrimXIchi fic instead of doing my homework like a good girl...*pout* SO give me some feedback if you want to read more...=)**

_Notes: there are lots of assassins in this fic. Grimmjow and Starrk are just a few introduced in this chapter. (Yes, the flighty air-headed black haired one is Starrk.)_

**Summary: One night changes Ichigo's life when his home palace is torn down by assassins and his relatives murdered or gone. He is forced to go under cover as a girl in order to escape the killers. But soon he finds himself in the company of several odd balls including one gorgeous Grimmjow. unfortunately the man starts to like the female version of Ichigo. Misunderstandings will soon follow.**

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One**

The light haired young man twirled a golden goblet between his thin pale fingers, examining the guests of his brother's celebration feast under thick orange bangs. His lips pulled in an almost feminine pout. The feast had started early that morning and lasted through to midnight. He still had a couple of hours left to endure.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a sharp nudge in the ribs. Karin, his younger sister gave a muffled cough as she pointed to where the commotion was. His brother, no the emperor was standing amongst a crowd of generals, dukes and other assorted rich people. He was smiling rather stiffly.

"Ichigo, notice the woman groping him?" Karin giggled as she whispered in Ichigo's ear. To his surprise, there was in fact a rather old looking woman with her hand pressed firmly against his brother's butt. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"S' the reason I don't want to be emperor…"

She sighed, picking up a long slender piece of wood and twirling it in her fingers like a weapon master. "What's the point of having a feast that no one likes?" Karin glanced up at the ceiling in total boredom.

Ichigo glanced around at he seated guests, noticing there were quite a lot of them snoring in their seats. There were several men in dark clothes seated at all the tables. One dark haired man was casually throwing small pieces of rice bun into the gaping mouth of the sleeping minister across from him, others weren't so creative. Ichigo perked up and watched with interest.

A loud booming laugh erupted from one of the generals, effectively waking the minister up. He choked. The dark clothed man stood up innocently and approached Ichigo's table.

"So when is the feasting going to stop, my prince?" he smiled and sat down, all the while ignoring the murderous glares from the minister as he wiped his mouth as dignified as he could.

Karin yawned, "In a few hours, hopefully something of interest happens…" she trailed off and the three sat in silence as time ticked away. They didn't have to wait long, the silence was interrupted by a thunderous boom and somewhere in the distance; a red light erupted, slicing the dark night in half.

_Oh gods, the palace is on fire._

Guests screamed as they fled the feasting hall. Ichigo looked around wildly. Karin was standing next to him, face white as a ghost. His brother was trying to calm some of the people down. The dark clothed men were all gone. Ichigo had a bad feeling something bad was going to happen. He spun around, grabbing Karin by the arm and pulled her to the nearest room.

"Ichigo! What's happening?" she was shouting words he didn't bother listening to. _Oh god, the palace… what do I do? _His mind was racing. The last time there was a large fire, the whole royal family was killed by assassins from over the wall, but what about this time?

_We should run and hide. _

He yanked open a wardrobe door, hesitating, _what if it's too easy? _ He turned around, bolting the door. "Karin, I want you to run as fast as you can away from here, take these clothes and hide until I go get you and Yuzu. Whatever you do, don't reveal you're royalty." He touched her cheek, eyes helpless. "I swear, as long as I live, I'll go find you. Now leave, you don't have much time." She gave her brother one last look, memorizing his face, before jumping out the window. Ichigo watched as his sister's small form disappeared behind the raging fire.

The door squeaked loudly as someone slammed into it, there was an excited voice shouting they found something. Ichigo froze, heart pounding painfully in his chest. _I have to do something. Oh gods, I'm in danger. _ He quickly scanned the room, finding nothing but servant clothes piled neatly in a heap in the corner. He quickly grabbed a pair of trousers, noticing it was dyed pink.

_It's a female servant gown…_

Ichigo smirked as an idea came to mind. He was quite talented at the art of dressing up due to his childhood friend Rukia's influence. They would never suspect… he looked around for something that could substitute for a larger chest. Something light…

_Perfect! _He grabbed a pair of honey redwood bowls facing down on a nearby table stand and found them to be connected together. It was almost as if the gods were smiling down on him… he attached them to his thinly clothed chest and pulled several rounds of cloth over them to secure them to his chest. They fit comfortably.

If it wasn't for the pounding on the door, he would have honestly got carried away playing dress up. He pulled the pink silk garment on to cover his black shirt and pulled his orange hair up into a messy bun, securing it with a pink piece of silk. Thank goodness he had long hair.

"Oi! Is anyone in there? Open up!" someone yelled roughly, followed by more rude pounding. Ichigo tried to calm his breathing as he mimicked a female voice.

"Coming…"

The noise outside stopped as he opened the door, lowering his face so the dark clothed men couldn't see it. The head man leered, grabbing his shoulder harshly.

"What do we have here? Concubines?" Another one made a move to touch his breasts. He froze. Maybe he made a much too convincing woman.

The one groping him stopped and frowned. "Why are your bosoms so har -" he didn't get to finish his sentence before Ichigo slammed a hard fist into his face, knocking out a few teeth. He grimaced in pain. Princes and nobility weren't the best candidates for a bare fist fight.

Luckily Ichigo wasn't like the other nobles; he was trained by the head of royal army himself, and stayed at a temple for special training with a head Taoist deep in the mountains. He had the assassins out cold on the floor in a minute flat. He was brushing off his sleeves when someone's voice reached his ears.

"Nice, but keep the shoulders in a bit. You look like a cripple." Ichigo froze as a knife pressed against his throat. _Oh god, don't touch the chest, not the chest…_ he pleaded silently in his mind. Thankfully this man wasn't so perverted. He pulled away a second later, when he noticed the pink garment Ichigo was wearing.

"Oh, I thought…" he looked down, seemingly embarrassed, and Ichigo caught sight of his face.

It was the dark haired man from the feast!

Ichigo finally understood why there were so many men wearing black at the banquet. He felt his throat tighten in anger. How dare they do this? The feast was boring, but also very important. He suddenly felt fearless, and slammed an elbow back into the man's stomach. He grunted and loosened his hold, falling back with a pained grimace.

Ichigo turned to escape but tripped over a limp body. He suddenly felt nervous when he noticed the men he had knocked out a minute ago weren't moving anymore. Ichigo reached out a hand and fingered the pulse.

No movement.

Something wet.

Blood.

He jerked back violently and stared in horror at the lifeless bodies on the ground. Surely he didn't hit them that hard…

"Wow, impressive job, Grimmjow. I didn't even notice." The dark haired man was standing now. He obviously didn't see Ichigo as a threat. Ichigo looked around wildly, trying to pinpoint the location of the other man.

He couldn't.

Then there was a soft whoosh of silk as a dark figure landed on the small table in the corner of the room. It was too dark to make out anything but something red glinted in the dark. The figure moved, metal jingling softly. The red spark disappeared before reappearing in front of his face. He flinched despite himself. The dark haired man seemed highly amused.

"No worries, he won't bite."

Ichigo felt more nervous than ever when he realized the red glint was the man's eye. Then the dark figure blinked owlishly and the redness faded to a clear sky blue color. Ichigo pulled back and half crawled half ran to the corner.

'Easy kill? It's helpful of you to knock them out…" the black-haired man smiled as he picked invisible dust from his dark robes. "Why did you explode like that? I mean, no normal serving girl could beat thirty men in less than two minutes..."

Ichigo blushed despite the situation. He lowered his head; trying to appear every inch of a shy serving girl as he said, "they were trying to touch me…" he trailed off.

There was a snort from the side and he glanced at the one named Grimmjow. "What? Don't believe me?" he glared.

"Wouldn't dare dream of it." He replied quietly.

The black-haired one coughed, "well, our job is done. We might as well turn the loot in." Grimmjow nodded and stood up to approach the window.

"We are in no hurry, might as well stay. The palace is deserted now…"

"But I want to get back to my sweetheart." Said dark-haired man pouted.

Ichigo's heart seized painfully. _Please let them be ok. Karin, Yuzu, Shiro… _

Grimmjow shrugged, "you can carry me if you want." And with that, he sat down. Ichigo took a few deep breaths and glanced around, seeing a candle on a wash table. He lit it and began studying his companions. The black-haired man was sitting on a nearby table, a bow on his knee. Then there was Grimmjow, who was leaning against the wall, looking pale as a ghost. For a minute the room was only the sounds of ragged breathing. Then the blond looked up.

"Grimmjow, you ok?" there was no concern in his voice, just a dead question.

"I'll live. But should we kill her?" he turned his eye toward Ichigo, and said 'girl' bristled. He stopped himself just in time, heart pounding as he reminded himself that he was suppose to be a girl right now.

"Why? She's pretty…and I could have some fun with her before we kill her." The dark haired one looked thoughtful.

Ichigo didn't get to reply. Grimmjow interrupted, pointing at the pile of clothes he left hurriedly on the floor before he changed.

_Oh no._

'Those are noble clothes, did anyone escape, Grimmjow?" the black haired man's voice was suddenly like steel. Ichigo shuddered; sure they could hear his pounding heart.

"None that I know of, other than that one." He pointed at Ichigo.

Ichigo knew he had to say something, or else his head would soon be on the line. He swallowed, head racing for a possible answer.

"He was here to see me." He nearly banged his head on the wall in frustration. How could he say something so stupid!?

Grimmjow let out a strained chuckle, "and left without his clothes?"

"Are you hinting that there's a naked man out there right now" the black haired one laughed. "S' why you looked so ruffled up?"

He blushed again, letting out a small yes. Let them think him simple.

"Let me guess, you two were busy doing…" he mimicked two people kissing in his hand, "and those poor men came in and your man jumped out the window naked, while you beat he crap out of specially trained assassins? This story is even wilder than the story about the legendary blue rooster."

Ichigo looked puzzled, "the legendary blue rooster?"

Grimmjow snorted, "Don't ask."

Ichigo looked up, dawn was soon approaching, and he couldn't waste anymore time with those dangerous assassins here. He had to check on his sisters and brother. He stood up, trying to look cheerful. "Well, looks like I should be going now…" he made for the door, but Grimmjow's shadow blocked his path. Ichigo smelled a faint iron scent coming from him. He realized it was the smell of blood before the man cuffed him hard on the neck, he dropped like a stone. The last thing he saw were the twin sky blue orbs watching him with slight interest.

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**Grimmjow seems a bit OC but he will be more in character in the next chapter. Review! And I will update soon!**


	2. The Journey Starts

**AN: An update again! Enjoy!**

**Notes: Grimmjow is cursed and he doesn't die easily and the tattoo on his chest counts the remaining lives he has, only no one can read the language. It will have clearer meaning later.**

_********__NOTE!!: I AM HOSTING A POLL IN MY PROFILE AND THERE ARE FOUR STORIES THAT I WOULD LIKE TO START BUT CAN'T DECIDE WHICH. THERE ARE SUMMARIES THERE, SO VOTE AND CHECK IT OUT._

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Two**

The sound of birds greeted Ichigo's ears as he woke groggily, his head was ringing unpleasantly. He turned to the side, took a deep breath and puked out the contents of the feast from last night. Then he noticed he was on a horse.

_Oh gods. They know._

How did he get on a horse?! Ichigo bolted up in the saddle and grabbed his fake breasts, a loud gasp dragging from his lips. He froze, and turned to see three men watching him with identical expressions of amazement.

Ichigo ducked his head and flushed tomato red, mumbling to himself.

"Umm... unusual habit for a girl..." the black haired man from last night blinked a few times.

Ichigo noticed in addition to the two men from last night, there was a stranger. He was _huge,_ more like a rhino. Yin felt sorry for the nut brown horse he was riding on.

"well, now that you're awake, off the horse!" the black haired man said cheerfully, before jumping off the one he was riding with Grimmjow and pushing Ichigo off.

The carrot top gawked, 'Why can't I ride?"

"You wanna ride? Go bunk with him." He pointed at the giant.

"There's barely space for a tick to ride on there!" he felt the blood rush to his head in annoyance.

"Or you could run…whatever floats your boat." He kicked the maroon horse Ichigo had been riding on, and at that moment Grimmjow fell off his own.

The black haired man looked over at his companion. There was a trail of blood behind Grimmjow's horse. The pure white horse nudged his rider. Grimmjow didn't move. The black haired one frowned and jumped off the horse again before approaching his fallen companion. He quickly pressed a finger against the other man's neck, checking for a pulse. Ichigo watched as he quickly pulled a dagger from his belt and slashed open the head cover Grimmjow was wearing. Ichigo blinked several times in amazement as hair the color of the autumn sky spilled out of the black head cover. Grimmjow's brows were drawn together and his lips white from the blood loss. He pulled the dark robes open to reveal a deep slash across the man's middle. He pulled back wordlessly and slung the unconscious man over his shoulder in a smooth move, muscles shifting under his dark robes.

"Starrk…shouldn't we heal him first?" the huge giant spoke suddenly and frowned as the man unceremoniously dumped his companion on to the white horse again. The one named Starrk ignored the large man and mounted the horse behind Grimmjow, holding the blue-haired man close to his chest and wrapping his arms around his waist securely.

The air was suddenly tense and Ichigo cleared his throat. The black haired man turned and gave a strained smile. "Well, it's your lucky day, lady. Ride Crossfire for me, will you? We can discuss about your situation back at the camp."

The fat man nodded slowly as Starrk kicked the horse and Ichigo mounted with a clumsy movement that made the fat man cough to hide his laugh. Ichigo glared as he settled himself on the horses back. It was slightly uncomfortable. He was more used to riding with a saddle. He forced himself to stop thinking about the burning palace that used to be his home and felt his throat tighten as he thought of his siblings. He was mostly worried about Yuzu. The girl was painfully innocent and not as adapt at fighting as her sister, Karin.

A branch snapped Ichigo on the head painfully and he yelp in pain, hands going to his head. Stark snorted and kicked the horse again to make it go faster. The pale pelt of the white horse was painfully obvious in the dark forest. Sunlight filtered through the thick leaves and landed on the dark grassy forest floor. It was a beautiful place.

"Hey, how do you feel?" the hushed tone made Ichigo look up and he blinked as Starrk shifted, holding Grimmjow against his chest like a small child. The pale man moved slightly, his pale lips moving in a word before he leaned over his companion's arm and threw up into the grass. There was a nasty sizzling noise as black congealed blood landed on the ground. The smell of rotting flesh greeted Ichigo and he felt like hurling as well.

Then Starrk did something strange.

Ichigo's eyes widened as the man pushed Grimmjow off the horse and watched without expression as the man threw up even more black stuff, his shoulders shaking from the effort. Ichigo felt his throat tighten and before he could stop himself, he jumped off his horse, wincing as blood flowed back into his numb legs and took a few unsteady steps toward the collapsed man. He took a deep breath before crouching down and started rubbing Grimmjow's back. A few painfully long moments passed and the man stilled.

"Water…" he gasped hoarsely and Starrk handed the water pouch to Ichigo, who helped the man open the cork. Grimmjow took a few mouthfuls and rinsed his mouth before draining the thing dry and shoving it back to Ichigo. He struggled up and leaned against a tree, taking a few long ragged breaths. Ichigo watched as the wound on his chest slowly closed over and the man gave a rather colorful string of curses before closing the flapping black tunic.

"That fucking hurt like hell. Damn that stupid prince and his poisonous sword…" the words were growled out as the man turned to Starrk. The black haired one smiled at the words and dismounted. Ichigo felt his heart lurch at the words. He was talking about Shirosaki's sword! The thought of his brother being alive gave him renewed hope and he moved over to the blue haired man.

"What of the prince?" he asked with a thin high voice. The two men turned to him and Grimmjow trained his sharp blue eyes on the diminutive girl in front of him with a frown.

"Why is she still here?" he turned to Starrk who shrugged and smirked.

"I wanted to play with her for a while." He winked at Ichigo and the carrot top frowned. Grimmjow snorted and turned to mount his horse, the pain from before apparently gone.

"She can ride with you, then." He said in a clipped tone and swung his legs over the white horse. "Come on, Pearl." He patted the horse on the neck and it whinnied before taking off.

Starrk put his hands on his waist and clicked his tongue. "Such a rude boy… oh well, it can't be helped, since Coral looks like she's about to pass out just from carrying Yammy himself, I guess you'll have to ride with me then."

Ichigo gulped and mounted the horse slowly, yelping when Starrk's hand went to his behind to help him. The man smirked and mounted behind him, his solid chest pressed close to Ichigo's back. The prince felt his heart leap in panic at the close distance. He turned and gave Starrk a nasty look before shuffling to make more distance between them. Starrk smirked and wrapped his arms around Ichigo's waist, pulling the protesting prince against him before kicking the horse.

Ichigo was tense throughout the impossibly long ride and by the time they reached the small village, he was sure Starrk's hands had felt him up at least a dozen times. Ichigo slapped the offending hands away from his waist as he dismounted and stretched his legs. The horses were led away by the villagers that rushed out to greet them. Ichigo took the time to study his surroundings and smiled as his eyes fell upon the happy faces.

"Grimmjow-kun…wait, you need to rest…" the sound of something slamming shut greeted Ichigo's ears and he turned to see the blue haired man step out into the sunlight, his hair almost glowing. Ichigo took the time to observe the handsome face. Grimmjow had a prominent jaw and sharp clear blue eyes the color of the purest blue. His hair was wind blown and messy but that only made it look more natural. The short streaks of blue were adorned by a simple beaded braid on the left. There were two long pieces of onyx embedded in his left ear and a golden hoop in the right ear. There was also an assortment of necklaces and charms hanging from his neck. Ichigo's eyes wandered over the smooth muscular chest and saw the strange lightning shaped tattoo over his heart. The strange writing made a sharp contrast against his pale skin. There was also a dark black panther draw over his left shoulder, it's tail ending at his forearm. The small orange haired girl following him had her hands clasped over her huge bosoms. There was a worried expression on her face. But he ignored her and made his way out of Ichigo's view, a scowl on his face.

She sighed and stopped, staring after him with a worried frown. Then the girl turned and caught sight of Ichigo. A big smile appeared over her face and she rushed over.

"Hi…" she smiled and came closer. "My name's Orihime." She reached out and took his hand in her warm ones. "Grimmjow-san told me about you. We should be friends!" she said happily and yanked him along with her. Ichigo followed her without noticing the pair of dark eyes watching him from the shadows.

Starrk smirked as he watched the two bright haired girls rush off, Ichigo's cheeks flushed slightly from embarrassment. "This could become interesting. She's obviously not what she claims to be and I want to the find out the truth." He turned to the silent figure next to him and gave Grimmjow a small smile.

"How do you feel?" he asked softly.

Grimmjow shrugged and ran a hand through his bright hair. "It's the same as always. It's not like that was my only life. I'll be fine." He brushed away the concern and turned to walk deeper into the forest. Starrk watched the younger man disappear into the forest and sighed.

"How many do you still have left, Grimmjow?"

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**What do you think? Things will be clearer later on. Review please! =) And I will update the other fics soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Finally an update! If you appreciate my work and effort, review! =) **

**Note: Yachiru is a monkey because of a curse. We'll go into it later.  
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**Enjoy!**

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**Three**

Ichigo glanced behind himself one more time to make sure no one had followed him to the small waterfall. Taking a deep breath, he started removing the small bowls secured to his chest, putting them by his pile of pink clothes. Ichigo took one last glance over his shoulder before slowly wadding into the water.

The water felt cool against his skin and the prince wandered deeper in until he got to the downpour of water by the small cluster of bushes overhanging by the water. He hid his naked body behind the leaves and ducked his head under the flow, letting the wet orange locks swirl around him in the waist-deep water. It felt really good. He was finally getting a cleansing bath. Ichigo's nervousness began to fade slowly as he ran his fingers through the long orange locks, letting the water carry the small bits of bark and leaves from the strands. He had been snooping around the forest for hours until he had found the waterfall.

He had stayed wit the assassins that killed his family for over a week now. Ichigo was really tempted to just kill them in their sleep and steal a horse and rush off to find his brother. But unfortunately they were the only lead. To his surprise, the bad guys had been very friendly to him. He had to share a tent with Orihime because she was the only woman in their little group. They were both supposed to be women so she had no trouble getting used to his presence. She had undressed in front of Ichigo the first night, causing the prince to faint on sight. Other than that incident, Ichigo learned to over his eyes when the woman decided to suddenly fling off her clothes when they were alone.

The sound of rustling leaves drew Ichigo's attention to the bank, or more importantly to the small pure white monkey sitting by his clothes. Ichigo felt his heart lurch in dread as the monkey picked up the small redwood bowls in its paws and weighed them expertly. Ichigo blinked when he noticed what the monkey was wearing.

The pale albino monkey was in a small pink tutu. There was also a tiny ridiculous pink bonnet secured around its tiny head. Ichigo watched in mute horror as the tail, complete with a large bow tie swished around. The monkey looked like it was about to jump off.

"Pst…yes you, little monkey!" Ichigo grounded out between his clenched teeth and tried for a big stiff smile as he gave a small wave at the monkey. The tiny head turned in his direction and the monkey blinked at him before securing the bowls around its waist and started jumping up and down, screeching at the top of its small lungs. Ichigo nearly tore out his hair in frustration.

"Get over here, you devil monkey!" he hissed and grabbed a pebble from under the nearest plant and flung it at the tiny monkey's head. To Ichigo's immense displeasure, it landed a few feet away. The monkey poked its tongue out at him and started hopping around again. Ichigo groaned and felt frustration mount at he tried to coax the monkey closer.

It seemed to read his mind and jumped a bit farther away. Ichigo almost sobbed as he lobbed a fruit from the plant. He was pleasantly surprised by the results of the fruit. The monkey shot down from the tree it had been trying to climb and grabbed the fruit. The prince sighed and gave the monkey a big plastered fake smile.

"Please give those back to mommy, I can give you more fruits if you want." He said in false sweet voice. Inside, Ichigo was plotting how he was going to strangle the small thing and put it out of its misery as soon as he got his hands on those bowls. The monkey drew closer and Ichigo wandered out of his hiding place, holding out a couple of the bright orange fruits.

Ichigo almost cackled in glee and triumph as his fingers closed around the strap and pulled the bowls back to him. He tossed the fruits to the monkey and splashed his way to the bank, bending over to gather his clothes.

"So where's Yachiru? I thought she was supposed to be with you?"

The masculine voice made Ichigo freeze in the middle of pulling on the bothersome wooden bowls. He heard the sound of a gruff laugh coming closer. There was definitely no time to dress properly. He grabbed his clothes and jumped back into the water, scrambling to his hiding place and ducked down. He set his clothes by the plant and covered the bowls wit the pink garments, his heart racing in his chest.

The rustling grew closer as the tall man emerged from the trees. Ichigo had never seen anyone so tall. The man had his black hair pulled back in thick spikes ending with a small golden bell attached at the back. The man whistled and Ichigo's eyes widened as the small monkey jumped out of nowhere to land on his shoulder. The pink tutu bobbed as it scrambled over the man's broad shoulder. Something splashed behind him but Ichigo ignored it.

"There you are, Yachiru." The man scratched the monkey's small head and straightened the lopsided bonnet. Ichigo frowned. Where was the owner of the other voice? He shouldn't have thought it.

The prince back away from the clearing as quietly as he could, long flame colored hair trailing over his shoulders and down his back. Ichigo barely moved a few steps when a shower of water droplets landed on his back. He stopped when his cool skin pressed against something warm and solid. The prince froze and turned around slowly. The blue haired assassin flipped back a strand of hair, the beaded braid on the side rattling as he shook the water off his head. Grimmjow grinned as Ichigo's bare back pressed against his bare chest. Water drops glistened down the tan muscled skin, beading against the black tattoo on his chest. Ichigo felt heat rush to his face as the man leaned forward slowly, an amused grin on his deviously handsome face.

"Boo."

Ichigo opened his mouth, hands flying up to cover his exposed chest and let out a bloodcurdling scream.

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Starrk tried to keep his face straight as the scream echoed through the silent forest. Birds exploded from the trees. Orihime turned to him with a small frown.

"Is Ichigo-chan alright?" she asked with concern.

"I'm sure she'll live." He grinned as he took the branches from Orihime's hands.

A few minutes after they arrived back at the campsite, Starrk looked up to see Grimmjow stumbling out of the trees, spitting out leaves and holding his cheek.

"I didn't see anything, damn it!" grimmjow hollered behind shot Starrk a vicious glare. The older man smiled to himself.

Yep it was the best idea of the day to dare Grimmjow to make Ichigo scream.

A few moments later the girl tumbled out of the trees after the man, Kenpachi at her side. Her cheeks were flushed pink in anger. Starrk couldn't hold back the laughter bubbling from inside his chest when Ichigo hurled a wet slipper at Grimmjow. The thing smacked Grimmjow in the back of the head and he growled as he approached Starrk.

"It's your fucking fault that the she-devil slapped me!" he threw the wet slipper at the black haired man and sat down next to him, his short hair dripping wet. Starrk grinned as Yachiru scrambled up his arm and settled herself on his shoulder.

"Welcome back Kenpachi. I take it that you've taken the prince and his sisters to our client?"

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**What do you think? . Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:I updated! Yah! Enjoy and leave me a lovely message.**

**Note: The Worlds will become better to understand as we proceed with the story so be patient and I would be more than happy to answer questions if you have any! And yes, Starrk is the boss in the group. =)  
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**Four **

Ichigo tugged consciously at the pink lace garment on his upper body and frowned. The garment was short and revealed a bit too much skin for his liking. He glanced over at the blue haired Adonis on the horse next to him. Grimmjow was glowering at nothing in particular as they rode through the trees silently, a blade of grass between his teeth. The small monkey with the pink tutu had perched itself on Ichigo's shoulder and he gave up trying to dislodge it. The prince hesitated as he took a sidelong glance at the man named Kenpachi. Ichigo had to admit it was humid in the forest but the man was being a bit too exaggerating by stripping off his shirt and riding bareback. His eyes trailed over the crisscrossing of scars and winced.

"Gah, can't we go any faster?!" Grimmjow finally snapped and kicked his horse. The horse whinnied in annoyance and bucked at its master. Bright blue eyes flashed impatiently as he tossed the blade of grass at Starrk's back. The black haired male turned around at the younger man's gesture and smiled in amusement.

"Don't worry; I'm sure we'll make it there by nightfall. Kisuke probably already knows we're coming."

Ichigo frowned and kicked his own horse as their pace quickened. By nightfall, the four of them plus the small monkey now nestled in Ichigo's knapsack was all inside the small city. Ichigo wondered briefly why the streets looked so empty at night as he followed Grimmjow. The teal haired man led the horse silently through the empty streets. His other hand, the one not wrapped around the reins of the horse was against the long dagger at his side. Kenpachi still looked at ease while Starrk's shoulders were visibly tense. Ichigo peered into the darkness and his eyes widened when they landed on the dark shapes crouched in the shadows. Red eyes watched them unblinkingly and the prince stifled a shiver. Starrk led them to a small alleyway and Ichigo blinked when he suddenly disappeared from sight.

"What---?!" a hand clamped over his mouth and Ichigo stiffened when a hard body pressed against his back and pushed him forward. In the corner of his eye, the man saw Kenpachi lead his horse after them. The cool rush of invisible fabric against his face made Ichigo blink and when he opened his eyes; they were facing a golden haired man. He was dressed in an over exaggerated emerald green gown with wide golden sleeves and an assortment of trinkets. Ichigo's eyes lingered on the large gemstone that resembled a cat's-eye in the middle of his chest. The thin male smiled as he snapped a fan over his face and sauntered over to them. Bright greened eyes studied him intently before the man moved off.

"What of the latest mission, Starrk?" his fingers trailed over the black table cloth on the round table in the middle of the room. Ichigo roughly shoved Grimmjow off him and opened his mouth to speak.

"Where are we? And what the heck are those things out there?" he snapped and glared around at the silent men. The blond responded by throwing his head back and laughing.

"I take it that you've never been out of your palace, princess?" Ichigo stiffened when he came closer, their eyes met and he shivered at the knowing look. "I'm surprised, Grimmjow. How on earth did she manage to get past your inspection?"

The orange haired prince gasped in shock as a pale gloved hand shot out and twisted his left wrist up and drew back the sleeve. Grimmjow shifted and took a sharp breath when he saw the dark tattoo of the royal family crest.

"So that's why you were so eager to hear about the prince." His words were a deep growl and Ichigo felt his heart lurch as the man took a step toward him, his hand drawing out the dagger at his waist.

"Now, now, Grimmjow. Stay calm. Let's hear what Kisuke has to say first." Starrk's hand gently tightened around Grimmjow's left shoulder and the man hesitated before stepping back. The two men trained their eyes on him and the blond smiled as he released Ichigo's wrist.

"Hmm, correct me if I'm wrong, princess. You are here to find out the locations of your siblings. The only reason you haven't tried to kill them in their sleep is that you think they hold valuable information. " Ichigo opened his mouth to argue but the man pressed a finger against his lip and shook his head. "Now, you want to offer twice the ransom gold for their release?"

Bright amber eyes widened as the blond winked at him slowly. "Correct, princess?"

Ichigo forced himself to nod and Grimmjow snorted loudly. "As much as we'd like to take the offer, we can't. God knows where they are now."

"Actually I do." Kisuke startled the other three men by waving lightly. "You see, quite a while back, I met an old gypsy who gifted me with quite a useful map. It can help you locate them."

"Just whose side are you on?" Grimmjow growled as he followed the blond into another room.

"May I borrow your dagger, mister assassin?" he held out a hand and Grimmjow hesitantly offered the sharp object. Ichigo blinked in surprise as Kisuke's hand shot out and grabbed his. The blade pierced his palm and the man squeezed the wound. A few drops of blood landed on a piece of old parchment and Ichigo watched as spidery writing began to form over the page.

"Hmm, it would seem as if they are already a few worlds from here." bells tinkled as the pale hand pointed to three golden dots in the map. He unfolded the rest of the parchment and Ichigo's eyes scanned over the rich gold letters over the shifting dots. Large ovals revolved gently around one another and he noticed the other dot.

"Is that where I am?" he pointed and Kisuke nodded with a smile.

"They are being escorted to another world as we speak. Apparently your brother is of considerable importance." The blond paused and ran the blade along his own palm. The blood sunk into the map as another larger red dot appeared in a grey area of the map. Ichigo frowned when a small wistful smile came over Kisuke's face as the man ran his fingers over the dot. "And that's where they are being escorted to."

"That's absurd. Starrk told me those are the uncharted lands of the Gods. How can they be…" Grimmjow shook his head and turned to the older brunet who was lounging on the richly colored sofa to the side. A nod confirmed his questioning gaze and the taller man stood with a sigh.

"The question is not whether we can take you there but of the price. Rumors say no man has ever returned from those lands. How much are you willing to pay for all this, princess?" dark storm grey eyes watched Ichigo blandly and the prince wondered if Starrk had a personality disorder. The man had been so warm and joking a few minutes ago.

"Name your price and I will pay it all once we get back." Ichigo tried to keep his voice from trembling as he stared the man in the eye.

"One million kilos of solid gold."

Ichigo's mouth dropped open with a click as he stared at the mercenary in front of him. "But…that's so much gold…"

"Exactly. Only that much is worth ever setting foot between worlds again. You really haven't heard about the rumors have you? People get lost forever between intersections in between worlds and I can assure you that we're the only ones in this world who are experienced in this field. So what do you say?" the man towered over Ichigo and the prince squared his shoulders.

"As a royal princ—princess, I swear I will pay the gold no matter what." Ichigo held up his bleeding palm and Starrk reached over as he shook the hand firmly.

"It's a deal then. Now if you will excuse me, I need to prepare some things for our journey." Starrk turned to the door flap and motioned for the blond man to follow after him as Ichigo stood there hesitantly. He took several deep breaths and tried to calm the urge to cry. He stiffened as the teal haired man walked over.

"You're sure about this?" bright blue eyes peered into Ichigo's and the prince swallowed thickly before nodding slowly. Warm calloused fingers pried open his still-bleeding palm and Grimmjow hesitated before dipping his fingers in the blood. He pressed the red stained fingers to his lip and licked them. Ichigo frowned as the man drew a small bracelet of crystal bells attached together wit ha red string off his wrist. He pressed them into Ichigo's palm and closed his fingers over the prince's hand, pressing the bracelet into his palm. Ichigo winced as Grimmjow whispered a few words and uncurled his fingers again. A small faint smirk appeared on his face as he slipped the bloodied bracelet onto Ichigo's left wrist. The man help up Ichigo's thin wrist and the bells jingled with a surprising deep tone.

"Since you're sure you want to employ us, there will be danger on the road. If you're in danger, all you have to do is ring the bells and I'll be there to protect you." a warm hand trailed against Ichigo's face slowly before tilting his chin up. Their eyes met and Ichigo saw a certain form of respect shining in the blue eyes. "You're very brave to stand up to him that way…"

Ichigo's breath hitched as Grimmjow leaned closer, almost close enough for their lips to touch…

"What'd I miss?!" the loud bellow made both figures stop back and Grimmjow instinctively shoved Ichigo behind him. Kenpachi's large hand shoved the door flap open as he entered.

"Stupid house of his has too many rooms. I almost got lost trying to find the stable." He peered at Ichigo and grinned. "Why's your face so red?"

"We're going to the lands of the Gods, so get ready." Grimmjow let go of Ichigo's hand as he walked toward the door flap.

"What the hell? I thought Starrk said we were retiring?!"

"Apparently not."

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**What do you think? Leave a review please!** =)


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Hey lovely readers! Another update! If you appreciate my work and effort, review! =) **

**Enjoy!**

**Note: Kisuke is the Guardian God of Ichigo's world. And the cats eye is the portal key to go into the next world. Not every intersection between the worlds are like the one mentioned in this chapter. Special request granted for those that can guess who will be in the next world. =)  
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**Five**

The next day was spent helping Starrk pile loads of clothes and pack food and bandages. Ichigo gave over the only valuable thing he had to him as part of the deal. The thick blood red ruby his mother had given to him at birth now sat in the pouch at Grimmjow's waist. He had half a mind to steal it back but that wouldn't have done much to help him with the rescue.

They left at day break the net day. Ichigo tried not to blush when Kisuke's eyes lingered on him for a bit too long and a slow knowing smile flashed over his face before he waved them off.

Ichigo twirled the small crystal bracelet in his fingers and watched in rapture as the small glittering diamond shaped bead jingled around its small crystal prison. A shout up ahead told him to go faster and he kicked the horse. The pale maroon steed under him gave a small whinny of protest and sped up. Ichigo frowned in annoyance and wiped a thin bead of sweat from his brow. They had been traveling for two days straight since they left Kisuke's shop during the day time. Ichigo tried to ignore the tense atmosphere in the city as they passed. Grimmjow had insisted to ride with him until they made it out of the city's patrol parameters.

Ichigo sort of missed the man's solid presence behind him. Grimmjow's skin was cold to the touch even under the heat of the sun. Somehow he didn't sweat under the blistering sun. Ichigo could faintly recall his body temperature feeling like a normal being a few days back but…

The prince glanced under his bright lashes and frowned at the straight back. The mercenary sat on his mount without any sighs of being tired. Kenpachi was having a bit of trouble with Yachiru. Apparently the small girl/monkey didn't do well with heat and was trying to chew through Kenpachi's arm. The tall man was cursing under his voice as he rode past, his horse picking up speed.

"The portal is close. Wait for my orders. We need to prepare the mounts." Starrk's firm voice made them slow down after an afternoon of riding without a word. The head mercenary dismounted from his horse and sighed in relief as he rotated his hips. Storm grey eyes surveyed the patch of bright blue flowers in front of them. The patch of flowers spread from the edge of the trees and disappeared into the mist farther ahead. Ichigo felt a cold chill seep through his skin and shivered involuntarily. The other two men dismounted and started tying eye patches over the horses' faces. Ichigo frowned in concern and watched as the horses whinnied nervously from the loss of sight.

Grimmjow stepped over to Ichigo's mount and looked up at the prince. He tried to smile at the assassin but Grimmjow leveled Ichigo a flat look and gave a gesture to dismount. Ichigo slid off his horse with a stiff cry.

"Put on the clothes and wait with Kenpachi." Grimmjow didn't turn back to look at him as he patted the maroon horse over the head and lead it to the other three mounts. Ichigo blinked when a heavy fur coat was draped onto his shoulders. The prince blushed scarlet as the small wooden bowls secured to his chest were knocked sideways by the heavy article of clothing and ducked in panic. But Kenpachi hadn't noticed a thing as he struggled with a thick black coat.

After each putting on a thick coat, Starrk pulled out a familiar item. It was the large gemstone that resembled a cat's eye that had been on Kisuke's chest when they had first gone to his shop.

"Well, princess. This is the first intersection of the worlds. Prepare yourself."

Starrk smiled slightly as he held out the stone and threw it out onto the field of unending flowers. A bright golden flame exploded over the blue petals and the whole field seemed to have been set on fire. Ichigo closed his eyes against the brightness and took a step back.

_Starrk….how nice to see you once more._ Something hissed behind the thick wall of flames.

"Hey, Yoruichi." Starrk stepped forward and reached out a hand. Ichigo's eyes widened as a slim woman stepped out of the flames. Her body was covered in a dress of flames. A handful of tails peeked out form behind her, all glowing in bright flames. She blew a kiss at the brunet man and turned her hypnotic eyes to Ichigo. The prince took a step back.

_Taking another poor soul to the underworlds? _An amused purr sounded as she stepped forward.

Starrk smiled and motioned for her to step into the flames. She smiled and flicked her tail for them to follow. Grimmjow mounted the horse without a word and patted the spot in front of him. Ichigo blinked in surprise.

Kenpachi slipped Yachiru into his coat and Ichigo mounted Grimmjow's horse. Starrk sent the maroon one back in the direction they had come and waited until it disappeared into the trees. Flames licked at Yoruichi's dark smooth skin as she watched them.

"Alright love, lead the way please." Starrk gave her a lazy charming smile and she slipped back into the wall of flames. Grimmjow had obviously felt Ichigo stiffen in front of him and held out a thick strip of cloth.

"Tie it to your eyes and no matter what you hear, don't open your eyes." A firm squeeze to his arm made warmth rush though Ichigo's body and he obediently wrapped the silk over his face. the flames felt icy as they passed though.

The sound of wind howling through trees echoed in Ichigo's ears as he passed though the portal. A sudden rush of wind stole his breath away and he nearly choked before warm arms wrapped around his waist and drew him against a solid body. Somewhere close a shrieking laugh exploded and he flinched as cold fingerlike tendrils brushed his face. The horse whinnied in fear and Ichigo felt the horse's muscles tremble in fear but it was obvious Grimmjow had trained his mount to trust him completely.

The sound of occasional hissing came from ahead. It was probably Yoruichi. Ichigo's fingers itched to reach up and pull the blindfold down. His fingers twitched in his lap and he had to pinch himself to stop the growing urge. It felt like he was going to be swallowed whole by the pitch black from behind his lids. Ichigo's fingers jerked up to his face and scratched at the cloth in a frenzy movement and for a few seconds, he saw something blurry in front of him. Then warm fingers wrapped around his hand and blocked out the sight of the horrid thing. But the deed was done.

He had seen the mutated face inches from his own. A horrid rotten bloated face. It was frozen in an expression of pain and one eye was missing. The other was a milky pale color. The feeling of pure anguish washed over him, threatening to swallow his very soul. Ichigo's mouth opened to scream but Grimmjow must have anticipated the move and a hand clamped over his mouth.

It felt like days until fresh open air greeted his nose and Ichigo choked out a breath as he slid numbly off the horse, not even caring about the fake breasts as he sobbed into his thick coat. No one tried to comfort him. Starrk's face was a clash of green and pasty white and his eyes were unfocused. Grimmjow had his eyes closed and was breathing slowly, his hands fisted into tight balls.

"That was some freaky shit." Kenpachi shook his head roughly and took a few gulps of air. "God, I hate this cold shitty place."

Ichigo blinked at Kenpachi's words and looked up though teary eyes. The world was painted a pure white. Small fluffy bits of white fell steadily from the sky and he reached out a hand to catch one. It disappeared in his palm, leaving a few drops of water. He poked out his tongue and caught a few of the cold fluffy bits. Trees were covered in the white stuff and hung down in thick clumps of white. The rest of the world had no other color. The glare of the sun was magnified by the thick white stuff and it hurt to look around.

"What is this?" Ichigo looked up at the tall teal haired man. Grimmjow's shoulders and head were covered in the white stuff.

"It's snow." He replied simply and Starrk offered a small stiff smile, his eyes retaining their sharp focus. He offered a hand to Ichigo.

"Welcome to the snow country, milady."

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